A merchant house facing the old provincial ground
The main house of the Fuchu Homare brewery stands toward the north end of a long, narrow plot in the Kokufu quarter of Ishioka, the ground that once held the provincial seat of ancient Hitachi. Built in 1869 (Meiji 2), it is a two-story timber building with parts in earthen-walled dozo construction, roofed in pantile, with a footprint of about 208 square meters.
The east front opened as the shop. The mise selling space and the choba counting room handled the daily trade here, while family rooms and a zashiki reception room ran along the west. Its ground floor measures roughly seven by seven and a half ken, a ken being about 1.8 meters.
Built to face the street and resist fire
Registered in July 2004 as a Tangible Cultural Property (number 08-0136), the house was recognized for its part in the historic character of the national landscape. Its defining feature is a deliberate response to fire: along the north side facing the street, both floors are sealed in plaster (nurikome), a guard against flames jumping from neighboring properties.
The roof carries a gable (kirizuma) on the north and a hip (yosemune) on the south, finished in pantile. Read together, the merchant-house plan and the plastered street wall show how one building held commerce, residence, and protection at once.
Where a brewery visit begins
Of the seven registered buildings on these grounds, the main house sits closest to the public road, which makes it a natural first stop. The brewery, in business since 1854, still presses sake on the premises.
Among its products is the Watari-bune label, drawn from Wataribune rice, a parent variety of the famous Yamada Nishiki that the seventh-generation owner brought back from a few grams of seed grain. Visits run by prior inquiry, so it is worth arranging a time before arriving.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Ibaraki
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fuchu Honshuya
- [ Hitachi Seaside Park Nemophila Flower Tours ]
Questions and Answers
- When was the main house built?
- In 1869 (Meiji 2), in the early Meiji period.
- Is the interior open to the public?
- The site is a working brewery rather than a museum. Tours can be arranged by contacting the brewery in advance.
- What is the main house made of?
- Two-story timber construction with parts in earthen-walled dozo work, roofed in pantile, about 208 square meters in footprint.
- Why is the north wall sealed in plaster?
- The street-facing north side was plastered on both floors as a fire precaution against neighboring buildings.
- What sake comes from this brewery?
- The Watari-bune, Taiheikai, and Fuchu Homare labels, including sake from the revived Wataribune rice.
Basic Information
| Name | Fuchu Homare Shuoku (Main House) |
|---|---|
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Registration No. | 08-0136 |
| Registered | 23 July 2004 (gazetted 17 August 2004) |
| Period | Meiji 2 (1869) |
| Structure | Two-story timber, partly earthen-walled (dozo); pantile roof |
| Floor area | approx. 208 sqm |
| Number | 1 building |
| Owner | Fuchu Homare Co., Ltd. |
| Location | 5-9-32 Kokufu, Ishioka City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Visiting | Working brewery; visits by prior inquiry |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Database of Designated Cultural Properties
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004203
- Fuchu Homare Co., Ltd. (official site)
- https://www.huchuhomare.com/
Last verified: 2026.06.25